It is irreversible: the transition to green chemistry is in full swing. The Northern Netherlands is taking the lead in this greening. With targeted investments in pioneering companies, NOM is contributing to strengthening the ecosystem and accelerating the transition.
The chemical industry has traditionally been an important pillar of the Northern Netherlands economy. The foundation was laid when the first chemical activities around the potato flour and strawboard factories emerged in the nineteenth century. These early bio-based applications formed the foreland, so to speak, of today's green chemistry.
The sector only really flourished after the discovery of the Groningen field. From the 1960s, the presence of natural gas stimulated the emergence of chemical clusters in Delfzijl and Emmen. This development attracted big names such as Akzo Nobel, KNZ (now Nobian) to the region, enticed by the availability of energy and raw materials such as salt and chlorine. The companies brought not only jobs, but also crucial knowledge and expertise to the North.
Opportunities from a crisis
In the early 1970s, Eemshaven was built as an overflow location for the petrochemical industry from Rotterdam. However, the oil crisis of 1973 put a big damper on that, leaving the port underutilized for a long time. In retrospect, the absence of large oil refineries turned out to be an unexpected blessing.
With fossil raw materials becoming scarcer and environmental requirements becoming stricter, a transition to green chemistry is inevitable. Where many regions run into all kinds of practical limitations, the Northern Netherlands actually has all the trump cards: less dependence on oil refineries, direct access to green energy from offshore wind farms, a strong agricultural hinterland that supplies biomass, an excellent knowledge infrastructure and room to welcome new companies.
Vibrant ecosystem
By investing in green chemistry, NOM stimulates the development of new business and employment in the region. At the same time, NOM acts as a connector between companies, knowledge institutes and governments. By bringing parties together, partnerships and cross-sector value chains are created that are of great value for innovation and upscaling within the sector.
In 2014, for example, together with Groningen Seaports, the initiative was taken for Chemport Europe, a vibrant ecosystem for green chemistry and materials in the northern Netherlands. In Chemport Europe, companies, knowledge institutions and governments are working intensively together on a shared ambition: changing the nature of chemistry.
NOM ensures the growth and further development of Chemport Europe by actively recruiting national and international companies, stimulating innovation, supporting entrepreneurs in sustainability and upscaling, and connecting startups and scale-ups with established companies in the region.
Complete value chain
With its investments, NOM explicitly focuses on companies that are a valuable addition to the cluster of green chemistry in the Northern Netherlands. The focus here is on circularity, bio-based applications and the recovery of raw materials. These companies often find their home in the chemical clusters of Delfzijl, Emmen and Heerenveen.
Together, the three clusters form a complete value chain. Delfzijl specializes in biobased chemistry and produces the molecular building blocks for industry. Emmen focuses mainly on fiber chemistry and processes the raw materials into polymers and plastics. Heerenveen serves as the knowledge and innovation center for circular plastics, where companies and research institutions collaborate on advanced recycling technologies and sustainable packaging solutions.
Promising companies
NOM's investment portfolio includes several promising companies in green chemistry. Take BioBTX, located at the Zernike Campus in Groningen, which is developing a pioneering technology to make aromatics (Benzene, Toluene and Xylene) from waste plastics. These chemical raw materials are essential building blocks for numerous products, including plastics, coatings and insulation materials.
Another example is Paques Biomaterials from Balk in Friesland, of which NOM is also a shareholder. In cooperation with Delft University of Technology, the company developed a process to produce the biopolymer PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) from wastewater streams. NOM's investment will be used to scale up and take the next step toward a natural alternative to plastic from organic waste streams.
Gamechanger: Avantium
A real gamechanger is Avantium, a pioneer in bio-based plastics. Avantium is completely replacing fossil raw materials with renewable alternatives and has developed, among other things, a technology to convert vegetable sugars into FDCA, the crucial building block for the relatively new bioplastic PEF.
PEF, which is 100% plant-based, recyclable and degradable, is seen as a sustainable alternative to the widely used PET, known from plastic bottles and textiles, among other things. To make good on this promise, Avantium took the decision in 2021 to build the world's first commercial FDCA plant at Chemie Park Delfzijl.
The location in Delfzijl was a well-considered choice, underlined the management of Avantium. The strategic location, the green energy supply and especially the Chemport Europe ecosystem make the northern Netherlands the ideal location to scale up this innovative technology.
Building such an FDCA Flagship Plant obviously requires a lot of capital. That is why NOM has invested in the company together with a consortium of regional investors, the province of Groningen and Groningen Seaports. After all, the plant can make a significant contribution to the development of a sustainable and circular cluster in the region. In other words, the first commercial production of a new generation of bio-based plastics is in line with the ambition of the Northern Netherlands to eventually achieve a completely fossil-free chemical industry.
Capital, knowledge and network
Sure, it's a tough ambition, but not unachievable. After all, the Northern Netherlands has all the ingredients. Moreover, some haste is called for, because the urgency is high. Therefore, NOM will continue to invest unabated in companies that develop the new techniques and processes needed to accelerate the transition to green chemistry. A transition that is not only good for our living environment, but also offers new economic opportunities for the region.
NOM has capital, knowledge and a network. The door is always open for entrepreneurs who are working on a sustainable and healthy chemistry sector with smart solutions. Because only through innovation and cooperation can we build a future that extends beyond tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.